CS 3660
The “Cinema” in
Machinima
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• As of Jan 20, 2010:
• Estimated budget: $200 - $500 million
• Domestic box office gross: $512, 852,205
• Foreign box office gross: $1,172, 833, 529
• Worldwide: $1, 685, 685, 734
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm
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Did you like the movie?
Why or why not?
Why do we watch movies?
But why do we really watch
movies?
(Hint: There are 3 reasons)
• Story
• Story
• Story!!!
Filmmaking is the 20th Century story art form.
Is interactive gaming the 21st? (NPR, MIT professor)
Key Elements of a Good
Film
1.Create a meaningful story
2.Communicate that story effectively
using visual language
Key Elements of a Good
Film
2.Communicate that story effectively
using visual language
What makes a meaningful story?
• A good beginning, a good middle, and a good
end, i.e. structure
• Cause and effect
• A premise/theme that drives the action
• Believable and rich characters
• Increasing conflict/tension
• Sense of completeness
Story Structure
Beginning, Middle, and End
Typical Hollywood Story Structure
Crisis
Climax
Dénouement
Inciting incident
The Hero’s Journey
by Joseph Campbell
Act Structure
• Act 1: introduces characters and sets the
scene for ensuing conflict
• Inciting incident: catapults character into
next act and onto journey
• Act 2: builds conflict to a climax
• Act 3: resolution of presented conflict
• Tips:
•
Start late, end early--Mamet
Story Structure
Beginning, Middle, and End
Typical Hollywood Story Structure
Crisis
Climax
Dénouement
Inciting incident
Short vs. Feature
• Short is more metaphor, haiku, or joke;
doesn’t allow for as much plot and
character development
• Feature is many shorts--like paragraphs
or chapters that make up a novel--allows
for more plot and character development
•
ex.–Situation, problem/conflict, and punch line
Like a paragraph
Has it’s own completeness
Cause and Effect
“The ordering of unrelated events or ideas or
images in favor of an overriding
preconception.”
David Mamet (On Directing Film, citing Jung)
TRANSLATION: We take events that happen and attach
causality to those events in support of an end result or
conclusion.
Cause and Effect
Wilber
Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect
“It is the nature of human perception to connect
unrelated images into a story, because we
need to make the world make sense.”
David Mamet (On Directing Film)
Subject vs. Theme
• Subject is what it’s about
•
Ex. Groundhog Day – What is it about?
• Theme is what you’re saying about what
it’s about
•
Ex. Groundhog Day – “So what”?
• If an idea supports the theme, use it, but if
it doesn’t, murder your darlings; tangents
lead to detours
Character
• Actions and dialogue reveal character;
setting and background further define
• Unique voice
• Fights for his/her beliefs; concerned for
own well being
• Character is coded––show don’t tell
• Relatable–someone you could know;
based on real people
Character
Character Arc
Moment of
Choice Change
Character
presented
Result reveals
Theme
Story Structure
Beginning, Middle, and End
Typical Hollywood Story Structure
Crisis
Climax
Dénouement
Inciting incident
Variety: As a reminder
Conflict/Tension
• Every protagonist (good guy) needs an
antagonist (bad guy); bad guy can be
one’s self
• About finding ways to give your
characters a hard time
•
Put your characters up a tree, throw rocks at them, and get them
back down
• Escalate the action
•
Start with a knife, move on to a shotgun, and if a shotgun doesn’t do
it, launch a nuclear bomb
• Character should rise or fall; change
Key Elements of a Good
Film
1.Create a meaningful story
Communicating Story
1. Make sense for the Character
2. Make sense for the Audience
Accessing the Film
Meaningful Cinematic
Story
visually
Example & Practice
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather
Crisis
Climax
Dénouement
Inciting incident
Birds of a Feather
Inciting incident
The Story
Scenario: Gabriel and Shelly are both taking the same computer programming
class.
The teacher announces that whoever finishes the final programming assignment
first will get a guaranteed A in the class.
They both want to win and recognize in each other their main competition.
The Story
Gabriel loves nature and wild life and finds out one day that Shelly, the
competition, also loves nature and wild life. He instantly falls in love.
The Story
However, because Shelly is the competition, Gabriel won’t admit his
love or act on it, even as he can’t deny his feelings.
Too bad he always runs into Shelly when least expected.
The Story
Gabriel attempts to ignore his feelings in hopes that they will fade away. He
buries himself in his work.
But his feelings for Shelly only increase in intensity.
Gabriel cannot go on in this way forever. He is reaching a point of crisis.
Moment of Choice
?
What should Gabriel do? How must he change?
Will he go for the girl?
Can he win the class competition and still get the girl?
Conclusion
How will events conclude for our love-torn protagonist?
Are you a romantic or a realist?
Ideas
• Start with what interests you, if it interests
you, it probably interests others too
• Notice what catches other people’s
attention--makes them laugh, cry, do a
double-take
• Dreams, journals, memories
• News, literature, theater, movies, and
games--recycle a good idea, adapt it
Put it Down on Paper
• Act of writing produces more ideas
• Brainstorm; green-light yourself
• Storyboard with pictures for camera
angles
• Make notes on dialogue and music
• Sketch scene flow
• Let it be messy, clean up later
Script format
• www.celtx.com for
FREE screenwriting
software
• iWork Pages template
• Macros in Word
How do you know when
you’re done?
Parting Words
• Rule #1: Keep it interesting
• Litmus Test: Is it something you would
want to watch?
• Passion: Is it an idea you’re willing to log
hours and hours on?
• KISS Principle: Keep It Simple Stupid